Musher Karen Ramstead scratched Thursday at the McGrath checkpoint. Ramstead, 45, from Perryville, Canada, had 14 dogs on her team when she made the decision to scratch for personal reasons.

Tom Thurston scratched Friday, also at McGrath. The 39-year-old musher from Oak Creek, Colo., had
nine dogs on his team when he made the decision, citing his team’s
performance as the main factor.

Meanwhile, a side story involves musher Justin Savidis from Willow, Alaska. Savidis lost one of his team members, Whitey, on Wednesday between Nikolai and McGrath checkpoints.

The 3-year-old male dog is said to have been sighted on numerous occasions, but when Savidis joined Alaska State Troopers on an aerial
search they were not able to locate him. Volunteers on the ground, as well as other pilots in the area, are on alert and keeping an eye out in the effort to locate the dog.

Savidis remains in McGrath with his team in hopes that Whitey will be found and returned to him -- Iditarod rules do not allow a musher to advance in the race without the same team that left the previous checkpoint.